AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. Reports Record Earnings for Second Quarter 2022

Strategic Highlights

• Construction and commissioning of the new vanadium spent catalyst recycling facility in Zanesville, Ohio is proceeding as planned. The roaster is fully operational, and the entire plant is expected to be at run-rate capacity by the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.
  
  
• The project to expand the spodumene production in AMG Brazil is on time and on budget. The objective is to be in full production in the second half of 2023 or earlier.
  
  
• AMG Lithium has started construction of the first European lithium refinery, and commissioning for the first module of the battery-grade lithium hydroxide upgrader will commence in the second half of 2023.
  
  
• AMG’s first lithium vanadium battery ("LIVA”) for industrial power management applications is proceeding as planned and the objective is to be fully operational in the fourth quarter of 2022.
  
  
• Shell & AMG Recycling B.V. ("SARBV”) and its partner, the United Company for Industry ("UCI”), have signed an agreement with Saudi Arabian Oil Company ("Aramco”). Basic engineering has begun on the first of four projects to build, own and operate a conversion plant of vanadium-containing gasification ash supplied by Aramco into vanadium oxide and vanadium electrolyte.
  
  

Financial Highlights

• Revenue increased by 42% to $424.1 million in the second quarter of 2022 from $298.4 million in the second quarter of 2021.
  
  
• EBITDA was $81.1 million in the second quarter of 2022, up 158% versus the second quarter 2021 EBITDA of $31.4 million, marking the highest six-month and quarterly EBITDA in AMG’s history and its eighth straight quarter of sequential improvement.
  
  
• Annualized return on capital employed was 25.5% for the first six months of 2022, more than double the 10.0% for the same period in 2021.
  
  
• Net income to shareholders for the second quarter of 2022 was $29.6 million, yielding 91 cents diluted earnings per share, compared to $3.6 million of net income to shareholders in the same period in the prior year and 11 cents diluted earnings per share.
  
  
• AMG’s liquidity as of June 30, 2022, was $476 million, with $301 million of unrestricted cash and $175 million of revolving credit availability.
  
  
• AMG declares an interim dividend of €0.30 per ordinary share, to be paid in the third quarter of 2022.
  
  

Amsterdam, 28 July 2022 (Regulated Information) --- AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V. ("AMG”, EURONEXT AMSTERDAM: "AMG”) reported second quarter 2022 revenue of $424.1 million, a 42% increase versus the second quarter of 2021. EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was $81.1 million, a 158% increase versus the second quarter of 2021. This also marks the eighth straight quarter of sequential growth after the pandemic low point in the second quarter of 2020.

Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, said, "AMG generated the highest quarterly EBITDA in our history in the second quarter of 2022. EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was $81 million, up 158% from the same period in 2021, and 48% higher than the first quarter of 2022. This outstanding result is mainly driven by our AMG Clean Energy Materials segment, where strong lithium prices lead to improved profitability in AMG Brazil, as well as by increased aerospace activity within our AMG Critical Materials Technologies segment.

"All of AMG’s strategic projects cluster in our AMG Clean Energy Materials segment and all of these projects are proceeding as planned. Each of these projects is oriented toward growing our production of electricity storage materials or increasing our footprint in the circular economy.

1. Commissioning has started at the Zanesville, Ohio, spent catalyst recycling facility. The roasting plant has reached its design capacity and is presently undergoing the final performance test. The "melt shop” is starting its commissioning process. With this new recycling plant, AMG solidifies its position as the world leader in the recycling of refinery waste. We are pleased to announce that large scale shipments of refinery waste from overseas have started.
   
   
2. The expansion project of AMG Brazil’s lithium concentrate production is proceeding as planned and the production is fully sold at market price via long-term contracts.
   
   
3. AMG Lithium has begun construction of the first European lithium refinery. The first module of the battery-grade lithium hydroxide upgrader will commence commissioning in the second half of 2023.
   
   
4. AMG’s first lithium vanadium battery ("LIVA”) for industrial power management applications has begun commissioning.
   
   
5. SARBV and UCI recently signed agreements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The joint venture plans to execute four distinct projects under an entity currently being formed, Advanced Circular Materials Company ("ACMC”):
   
   
   1. Build, own and operate a conversion plant of vanadium-containing gasification ash into vanadium oxide and vanadium electrolyte for redox flow batteries;
      
   2. A spent catalyst recycling facility;
   3. A fresh catalyst R&D laboratory;
   4. Mass energy storage facilities (vanadium redox flow battery manufacturing).

Basic engineering for the first project has begun and it will lay the foundation for all other projects with the Supercenter. It will produce and sell high-purity vanadium oxide and vanadium electrolyte. This is the largest such project in the world and is under long-term market-based contracts with Aramco. The materials this project will produce are destined to feed the emerging vanadium redox flow battery market.

"We are extremely pleased to announce the accomplishments of these strategic projects along with the best quarterly results in the history of the Company.”

Key Figures

Notes:

(1)   EBIT is defined as earnings before interest and income taxes. EBIT excludes restructuring, asset impairment, inventory cost adjustments, environmental provisions, exceptional legal expenses, equity-settled share-based payments, and strategic expenses.
(2)   EBITDA is defined as EBIT adjusted for depreciation and amortization.

Operational Review

AMG Clean Energy Materials

AMG Clean Energy Materials’ revenue increased 77% compared to the second quarter of 2021, to $159.8 million, driven mainly by higher prices in vanadium, tantalum and lithium concentrates. Sales volumes were down due to shipping schedule variances from AMG Brazil and maintenance downtime at our Cambridge facility.

Gross profit before non-recurring items for the quarter increased 282% compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily due to the increased price environment.

SG&A expenses in the second quarter of 2022 were $11.1 million, $1.6 million higher than the second quarter of 2021, largely due to higher share-based and variable compensation expense.

The second quarter 2022 EBITDA increased 364%, to $58.2 million, from $12.6 million in the second quarter of 2021, due to the improved gross profit as noted above.

AMG Critical Minerals

AMG Critical Minerals’ revenue increased by $26.6 million, or 35%, to $103.4 million, driven by strong sales volumes of antimony and graphite as well as higher sales prices in silicon and antimony.

Gross profit before non-recurring items of $14.0 million in the second quarter was $0.6 million higher compared to the second quarter of 2021. The higher revenue was due to the improved pricing and higher sales volumes noted above and was offset by increased raw material prices as well as the ongoing rise in energy and shipping costs.

SG&A expenses in the second quarter of 2022 slightly increased by 2%, to $7.0 million, compared to the same period in 2021.

The second quarter 2022 EBITDA was consistent with the same period in the prior year despite ongoing inflationary pressures including energy and shipping cost increases.

AMG Critical Materials Technologies

AMG Critical Materials Technologies' second quarter 2022 revenue increased by $29.5 million, or 22%, compared to the same period in 2021. This improvement was due to increased titanium alloys sales, as well as higher chrome metal pricing associated with improving conditions in the aerospace sector. Second quarter 2022 gross profit before non-recurring items increased by $6.4 million, or 30%, to $27.4 million due to the higher volumes and prices.

SG&A expenses increased by $2.1 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, mainly driven by higher share-based and variable compensation expense and higher professional fees in the current quarter.

AMG Critical Materials Technologies’ EBITDA increased to $13.8 million during the quarter, compared to $9.6 million in the second quarter of 2021. This was primarily due to higher profitability in chrome metal and titanium alloys.

AMG Engineering signed $59.8 million in new orders during the second quarter of 2022, driven by strong orders of induction furnaces, representing a 1.10x book to bill ratio. Order backlog was $181.0 million as of June 30, 2022, slightly lower than the $183.5 million as of March 31, 2022.

Financial Review

Tax

AMG recorded an income tax expense of $23.2 million in the second quarter of 2022, compared to an income tax benefit of $5.6 million in the same period in 2021. This variance was mainly driven by higher pre-tax income compared to the prior period and movements in the Brazilian real versus the US dollar. The effects of the Brazilian real caused a $3.8 million non-cash tax expense in the second quarter of 2022 compared to a $12.4 million non-cash tax benefit in the second quarter of 2021. Movements in the Brazilian real exchange rate impact the valuation of the Company’s net deferred tax positions related to our operations in Brazil.

AMG paid taxes of $9.1 million in the second quarter of 2022, compared to tax payments of $2.5 million in the second quarter of 2021.

Exceptional Items

AMG’s second quarter 2022 gross profit includes exceptional items, which are not included in the calculation of EBITDA.

A summary of exceptional items included in gross profit in the second quarters of 2022 and 2021 are below:

Exceptional items included in gross profit

Energy Costs

Total energy costs were $9.9 million higher in the second quarter of 2022 versus the same period in 2021 due to significant increases in gas and electricity costs during the quarter. The majority of this increase was at our silicon business in Germany, but that business benefited from fully hedged power costs. Other business units benefited from long-term electricity contracts that have no price escalation clauses, and the business units that did experience energy cost increases were able to pass through most of these increased costs to their customers.

SG&A

AMG’s second quarter 2022 SG&A expenses were $37.0 million compared to $33.2 million in the second quarter of 2021, with the variance largely driven by higher compensation expense due to higher profitability forecasted for the year and increased professional fees associated with strategic projects.

Liquidity

AMG had a net debt position of $364.8 million as of June 30, 2022. This increase was mainly due to the significant investment in growth initiatives during the quarter.

AMG continued to maintain a strong balance sheet and adequate sources of liquidity during the second quarter. Employee benefit liabilities decreased $55 million during the quarter to $108 million mainly due to rising discount rates. This decrease in employee benefit liabilities combined with AMG’s higher earnings have increased our equity attributable to shareholders to $357 million, a 33% increase over the year-end value.

As of June 30, 2022, the Company had $301 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $175 million available on its revolving credit facility. As such, AMG had $476 million of total liquidity as of June 30, 2022.

Net Finance Costs

AMG’s second quarter 2022 net finance costs were $12.2 million compared to $4.8 million in the second quarter of 2021. This increase was mainly driven by non-cash intergroup related foreign exchange losses of $7.5 million during the quarter.

AMG capitalized $2.1 million of interest costs in the second quarter of 2022 versus $3.8 million in the same period in 2021, driven by interest associated with the Company’s tax-exempt municipal bond supporting the vanadium expansion in Ohio. This decrease is due to a portion of the municipal bond interest costs which are no longer being capitalized due to the ramp up of production at our Zanesville facility.

Outlook

AMG continues to provide strong and consistent results despite the global economic fallout from the geopolitical turbulence in recent months. We are continuing to focus on the things we can control and are extremely pleased with the noted achievements in our strategic initiatives which will drive long-term value creation. EBITDA was $81.1 million in the second quarter of 2022, the highest quarterly EBITDA in AMG’s history. As mentioned, it was the eighth straight quarter of sequential improvement.

As the year has progressed and more information is available, AMG is increasing its EBITDA guidance for the full year 2022 to a range of between $280 million and $300 million. This range is supported by AMG’s geographic diversification and the strength of the global lithium market.

Net income to EBITDA reconciliation        

(1) The Company is in the initial development and ramp-up phases for several strategic expansion projects, including AMG Vanadium’s expansion project, the joint venture with Shell, Hybrid Lithium Vanadium Redox Flow Battery System, and the lithium expansion in Germany, which incurred project expenses during the quarter but are not yet operational. AMG is adjusting EBITDA for these exceptional charges.

This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

This press release contains regulated information as defined in the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht).

About AMG

AMG is a global critical materials company at the forefront of CO₂ reduction trends. AMG produces highly engineered specialty metals and mineral products and provides related vacuum furnace systems and services to the transportation, infrastructure, energy, and specialty metals & chemicals end markets.

AMG Clean Energy Materials segment combines AMG’s recycling and mining operations, producing materials for infrastructure and energy storage solutions while reducing the CO₂ footprint of both suppliers and customers. AMG Clean Energy Materials segment spans the vanadium, lithium, and tantalum value chains. AMG Critical Materials Technologies segment combines AMG’s leading vacuum furnace technology line with high-purity materials serving global leaders in the aerospace sector. AMG Critical Minerals segment consists of AMG’s mineral processing operations in antimony, graphite, and silicon metal.

With approximately 3,300 employees, AMG operates globally with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, China, Mexico, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, and Mozambique, and has sales and customer service offices in Japan (www.amg-nv.com).

For further information, please contact:
AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group N.V.        +1 610 975 4979
Michele Fischer
mfischer@amg-nv.com

Disclaimer

Certain statements in this press release are not historical facts and are "forward looking.” Forward looking statements include statements concerning AMG’s plans, expectations, projections, objectives, targets, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans and intentions relating to acquisitions, AMG’s competitive strengths and weaknesses, plans or goals relating to forecasted production, reserves, financial position and future operations and development, AMG’s business strategy and the trends AMG anticipates in the industries and the political and legal environment in which it operates and other information that is not historical information. When used in this press release, the words "expects,” "believes,” "anticipates,” "plans,” "may,” "will,” "should,” and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward looking statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. AMG expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in AMG's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based.

Attachment

• Second Quarter 2022 PR